


Man's Best Friend

by VagueOmen



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Dark Will Graham, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hannibal Lecter Loves Will Graham, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Murder Family, Murder Husbands, Post-Canon, Post-Episode: s03e13 The Wrath of the Lamb, Post-Fall (Hannibal), Will Graham Loves Hannibal Lecter, these dogs are technically oc's lmao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:02:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27708053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VagueOmen/pseuds/VagueOmen
Summary: Will has a family that cares for him, and his dogs. He stumbles upon a Freddie Lounds article about his old dogs and some family hurt/comfort ensues." 'Can we take Trout and Bones for a walk? It looks really nice out today. Cold but sunny. They’d love it.' She asked. She was trying to make him feel better, it was obvious, and it was working. "
Relationships: Will Graham & Abigail Hobbs & Hannibal Lecter, Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter
Comments: 2
Kudos: 54





	Man's Best Friend

**Author's Note:**

> mano meilė is lithuanian for ‘my love’ . tėtis is ‘dad’. Mylimasis is ‘lover’

Will sat at the kitchen island with his laptop open. Red text at the top of his screen read “What happens to serial killer’s pets?”. This felt too Buzzfeed for Freddie Lounds, and like a last grab at any news regarding Will and Hannibal (it had been some time now), but she would capitalize off of anything. Including the fact that Will _used_ to have several wonderful canine friends before he had to run away. He didn’t want to leave them. He had to, though. He wished he could’ve said goodbye. He hopes they remember him. Maybe it’s better if they forget him. Then they won’t remember him leaving them. He was reading something about how being previously owned by a murderer made them less likely to get adopted when Abigail walked into the kitchen. 

“ _Tėtis_? What’s wrong?” She asked. She didn’t call them ‘dad’. That was for her old father. ‘Father’ felt too formal. Hannibal taught her the lithuanian word. She loved it. Hannibal and Will found it incredibly endearing. 

Will looked up at her, at the same time realizing he had cried a small amount. He wiped his face under his eyes. “I just miss my dogs, dear. I’ll be alright.” He reassured her. 

“Can we take Trout and Bones for a walk? It looks really nice out today. Cold but sunny. They’d love it.” She asked. She was trying to make him feel better, it was obvious, and it was working.

Will smiled with his teeth showing for just a moment. “That’s a great idea, Abby.” he said closing the computer. “I’ll go leash them up. If you’re ready to go?” he asked.

“Yeah I just gotta grab a jacket and put on my shoes.” She said before dipping out of the kitchen. 

Will shot a quick text to his husband before getting out of his seat. ‘Taking Abby and dogs for walk. Will be home for dinner’.

After a moment of thinking he sent another text. ‘Thank you for getting groceries <3’. 

The dogs were very excited to see him when he reached for the leashes on the wall by the door. They practically jumped in the air as soon as he grabbed them. “Hey hey! Down! I gotta get it on you guys!”.

Trout, named after Will’s love of fishing, and Bones, named after how thin he was when they rescued him, tried their very best to sit. They looked like they were ready to run at any moment, filled to the brim with excitement. He clipped harnesses under their chests and attached leashes on the loops.

“Ready to go guys?” He asked, smiling and rubbing their heads. 

He looked up around the room. “Abby? Are you ready to go?” He asked loudly, not sure where she was.

“I can’t find my jacket!” She yelled from another room. She then came down the stairs and up to Will. “I think it’s the laundry.” she said. 

“You can borrow anything of mine or Hannibal’s that’s in the closet,” he offered. “I’m sure he has some very warm and very expensively made coats in there.”

She walked over to the closet in the hall and pulled out a large dark green flannel jacket. “I always liked this one most.” she said. 

It was one of Will’s. It probably had dog hair on it. It made him feel loved. Perhaps she was making up for the lost time when only Hannibal had her. 

“Fine by me, dear.” He said. He never used to ever refer to anyone so affectionately and often. This family of his was the most love in his life he’s ever known. He wouldn’t change it for anything. He’d kill for his family. He has. 

They walked out the front door, one dog each, and went towards the woods. There wasn’t really anything else to walk out towards where they lived. Just trees and a very long driveway. The dogs certainly didn’t mind going off the beaten trail. 

Once they were far off enough that they were about to lose sight of the house Abigail asked “Hey _tėtis_? How do you not get lost out here? How do you know where you are?”.

“Well,” he said “you gotta make markers for yourself, without hurting the forest if you can.”

“Like. . how?” she asked, stopping to get Trout’s leg untangled from her leash. 

“You have to remember. You have to train your eye to notice specific things, to find something that stands out.” He said. “Try to find something that stands out.”

“Well. Everything looks kinda the same.” she said looking around at everything they passed. “I don’t know. Wait!” she stopped and pointed up. “The trees all look the same but that one has a branch that looks like it's going to fall off.” she said excitedly.

“Good eye, Abigail. That’s the kinda stuff I’m talking about. You wanna find all of our marks today?”

“I’d like to try- but I think you’d better do it too because I can’t promise I won’t get us lost.” she joked. 

Will laughed. “Okay darlin’. But I’m going to keep my marks in my head to myself until you need them. I bet you can do it all by yourself.”

“Thanks, _tėtis_. I’ll try. Oh! That bush is kinda dead and brown in only one half!”. She pointed at the bush, which really was strangely brown and dead on exactly one half.

“You’re a quick study, Abby.”

She looked up at him with pride. After a moment she joked “I think it’s just the jacket.”

“Ah yes, maybe. It is entirely possible that my amazing skills are radiating off my coat.” he said, reaching out to touch her shoulder with the leash free hand. 

They walked in comfortable silence for what must have been a couple blocks more when they heard a car door in the distance. Hannibal was home, and food would be ready soon. They had walked about fifteen minutes out, but the sound traveled far around their secluded home and woods. 

They headed back, Abigail leading the way. The dogs slowed their pace as they got closer to the house. It was unclear if they were tired or reluctant to go home. 

Both Abigail and Will felt a sense of normality and safety wash over them as they walked past Hannibal’s car, into their home, and with their dogs.

They let Trout and Bones off the leashes. The two furry companions curled up on their beds near the unlit fireplace. It was a surprisingly clean room, considering that the dogs usually resided there. Perhaps because two members of the family always made a point to clean it when the third wasn’t home. 

Will lifted his nose up in the air of the house. “Something smells good.”

“When does it not?” She laughed. Her face was flushed from the cold outside as well. 

He smiled at her reply as he shook off his jacket and hung everything up in the closet. Everytime he came into the house and did his little routine at the closet and key rack he felt such a sense of mischief, like he was getting away with something by living a normal life. He was. 

Abigail left up the stairs, but not before petting the dogs sleeping heads. She adored those dogs almost as much as Will. Hannibal liked them okay, but they were mostly there because she and Will had asked (begged) to have them. 

Will wandered into the kitchen. 

“Hello, Will. How was the walk with our daughter?” Hannibal asked in greeting, stirring something in a pan on the stove in front of him. 

Will sat on the stool at the kitchen island again. It had several bowls of measured ingredients on it. “It was nice. She actually led us back home all on her own. Well, we really just went in a straight line, but I am very proud of her.” 

“Of course you do, you are her father. I feel similarly and I wasn’t even there.” He said in his cool and logical tone. He put what Will could now identify as sausage on a plate next to the stove, and put the pan in the sink. He turned to face him. “I hope next time to join you.”

Will nodded in agreement. 

“Not the usual time of day that either of you would take them out. What was the reason for the change in routine?”. He quirked an eyebrow. He was constantly curious about everything. Will loved him for that. Funnily enough, that's what he used to hate him the most for. 

“It was Abby’s idea, actually.” He began to explain. “She, uh- she saw me looking at an article about my old dogs. Thought Trout and Bones could cheer me up. They did, but I blame mostly Abigail for my mood improvement.”

A small smile graced Hannibal’s face. “She has such a habit of that around here, doesn’t she? Although I believe most times it is unintentional. And unaware.”

“Yes. I suspect so, too.” He smiled down at the counter, thinking. “God Hannibal, we got so incredibly lucky with her. I mean we can make our life however we’d like to be but she’s one thing we just got lucky to get. I feel grateful, like she was given to us.”

Hannibal turned back to his cooking. “She was, Will. God also intended for us to make others in our own image. Abigail is in our image.” he said matter of factly. 

“I suppose she is. I only can hope she’s in our best image. I hope I don’t ruin her.” Will said quietly. 

Hannibal paused a moment before responding. “I sincerely hope you’re not too serious about that last sentiment, Will. I don’t think you ever possibly could. You lend your best self to both of us.”

Will didn’t feel strongly enough to argue it. He also didn’t have anything to refute that with. “Okay.”

“Good.” He wiped his hands on a dish rag. “I’ll plate these now. Can you go fetch her?” he asked pointing upstairs.

Will nodded his head and left the room. 

When he came back in with Abigail, three elegant plates were set in the dining room adjacent to the kitchen. Each was piled with vegetables, some kind of crumbled meat, and a sausage on top. 

During dinner, Abigail enthused to Hannibal about her newfound forest trekking skills. “I picked out all of the marker spots myself, and I remembered every one of them on our way back. I wasn’t lost for a moment.” She felt a pride that resembled that of a much younger child. It didn’t occur to her that it was because she hadn’t felt the same pride for anything when she was young. 

“I must say, Abigail, I’m very impressed.” Hannibal said, a genuine expression on his face. 

Both he and Will felt pride for even the smallest things. Even if she was nineteen. She was theirs, and everything she did was proof that she survived everything that’s happened to her, and happened to them. 

This made Abigail feel loved in a kind and unconditional way that she hadn’t realized she was missing with her old parents. She was thriving under their care. 

Abigail excitedly blurted out, “Do you think that maybe if I’m getting good at not getting lost in the forest and important stuff like that- that I could start hunting with you guys?”

Will and Hannibal both looked at her surprised.

“I mean I know you guys don’t do it often but I think if I keep getting better at important survival stuff then maybe I wouldn’t mess up too bad at a hunt. I mean I know how to hunt animals.” she explained quickly, worried that her parents would refuse her.

Will looked at Hannibal, deciding that he probably had the best answer. 

Hannibal saw this and took a sip of his wine. “You have always been welcome to hunt with us, dear. I was previously under the assumption that you were scared to somehow ‘mess it up’.”

“I know, _tėtis_. But I think I’m ready to now. I really want to try. I think I can do it.” she pleaded.

“I’m glad you’re confident. We’ll gladly take your help, Abigail.” Will said. He looked to Hannibal for a last confirmation. His husband nodded at him and smiled. 

“Thank you!” she beamed. “I really want to share that with both of you. I want to be part of it.” she said, poking what was left of her food on the plate.

“Not interested in sausage today, _mano meilė_?” Hannibal asked. 

“No, I think I filled up on everything else on the plate. Sorry.” Abigail replied.

“No need to apologize for eating how much you’d like of what you’d like.” he said, grabbing her plate for her. 

“Wait!” She interrupted. “Can I give some to the dogs?”

This time it was Hannibal who looked to Will in search of an answer.

“That’s perfectly alright, Abby. They’ll love you for it.” Will supplied. “Just cut it into smaller bites. And make sure they get even amounts. I like to be fair.” He was a fair man. If only sometimes unconventionally. The reason they were able to have this family now is because he’d finally gotten fair with his husband in Italy. 

Abigail nodded and took her plate back, cutting the meat into smaller pieces. 

Will and Hannibal cleaned up the dining room and kitchen while she gave Trout and Bones her leftovers. 

As they all settled into the night Will asked Abigail to stay downstairs, maybe watch a movie. She had too much homework, but promised she wouldn’t be busy tomorrow. He had just said “Okay, I love you. Get that work done.”

She nodded and headed up the stairs. Mid way she went back a few steps. “I love you too!” she spoke loudly, realizing she hadn’t said it back.

“I know! Homework!” Will called back to her from the living room. 

He sat on the couch by himself and closed his eyes. He enjoyed the warmth of the fireplace that Hannibal must have lit earlier. He was home here. This was it. This is what his life had led to. 

He had probably been sitting like that for all of five minutes when a hand was placed on his shoulder. He didn’t open his eyes. “Hi.” he spoke softly.

“Hello, Will. Mind if I join you?” He rubbed his thumb along his shoulder.

Will leaned into it. “Come on over.” he invited.

Hannibal moved to the front of the couch, placing his wine glass on the coffee table as he sat down next to his husband. “Do you want to talk about your dogs?” he asked quietly. 

Will thought for a moment. He knew Hannibal would pry, or read the article himself, if he didn’t share. “Yes.”

“It began with Miss Lounds writing an article about them?” he asked, somewhat cautiously. 

He blinked his eyes open. “Yes. She did.”

Hannibal held out his arms, which were quickly filled with Will. 

His ear was on his chest, listening to the heartbeat. He stared at the fireplace. “She said they aren’t going to get adopted because I was a serial killer. Even if I am ‘no longer living’. She said Alana Bloom will forever be a foster parent to my dogs. Because of me.” he said in a quiet and angry voice. He felt his husband squeeze him- almost too tight. He knew it was a silent message to save that anger for someone who was worth it. Or at least for anything he could actually do something about. 

“I’m sorry, _mylimasis_. She knows nothing of how good you were to those dogs. They are worth very much to you, and should be treated as such. They are deserving of more.”

Will nodded, listening to the heartbeat beneath him. He brought a hand up to his mouth, chewing on his fingers while he thought. “I fucking hate her.”

This brought a chuckle out of Hannibal. “I’m aware.”

He huffed in response. He put his arms around his waist. 

“Is there anything you would like to do about this, Will?” he asked, rubbing his back now.

He thought for another moment. “No.”

“Then that’s settled. What movie would you like to watch tonight?”

The question made Will smile. “Let’s find one where the journalist dies.” The smile was now a devious one.

Hannibal laughed. They ended up watching The Princess Bride, which was Hannibal’s secret favorite. Sure, no journalists die, but Will knew Hannibal had picked it partly so he could whisper along to his favorite lines into his ear. It made him feel truly romanced, if not in the corniest way. 

Afterwards, they went upstairs to go to bed. Before retiring to the inviting and warm bed, they stopped at their daughters bedroom. 

Will spoke through the door. “Goodnight, Abby.”

“Goodnight, _mano meilė_.” her other parent said softly.

A quiet “Goodnight.” was returned. “Love you.”

“We love you, too.” Hannibal said. 

In their bed Will reached out to his husband and held on to him. His husband held back. “Goodnight. I love you.” his speech was muffled due to his face being on the other man’s chest. 

Hannibal spoke into his hair. “I love you, Will. Goodnight.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank u to my dear friend for beta-ing for me again.  
> I wasn't crazy about this one but her comments made me feel like it's worth posting.
> 
> Comments and kudos greatly appreciated!!!


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